Shut Out
by Metallic.Wings
Summary: Anna's reaction to her first fight with Kristoff.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, hi. Ha ha. This isn't my _first_ fanfic. I've written a few of those. However, this is the first time I'm posting one online. Ever. Hopefully you guys like it! I'm thinking it will be at least three chapters, perhaps one or two more. I already have most of chapter two written and will post it soon. Anyway, these two are just too cute! Let me know what you think.**

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"It's like you're never even around anymore," Anna whined, letting herself fall back onto her bed with a muffled _whump_. She heard Kristoff's clothes rustling, then the bed lean slightly as he sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry, Anna," he said with a sigh. She pouted at him—he didn't _sound_ particularly sorry. He glanced down at her, blond brows knit and a light frown on his lips. _Why does he have to be so handsome?_ she thought to herself. _**Especially**__ when I'm trying to be mad at him_. She struggled to regain her focus.

Anna wiggled, then sat up, keeping a few inches between them for good measure. "Can't you just, I don't know," she said, tilting her head and shrugging, "take a day off now and then?" She snuck a glance at him. Kristoff was watching her intently, his frown still firmly in place. "You know I can't," he told her softly, reaching for her hand.

But Anna slithered away, bouncing off the bed to stand in front of him. "Come _on_," she whined, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "It wouldn't be so bad…"

He sighed again, and Anna deflated a bit. "It's not like that. I can't just take a day off whenever I feel like it," he told her, shrugging a bit. "I have important duties that need to get done."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, unconvinced. The_ Royal Ice Master and Deliverer_ had important duties? Oh please. Elsa could just make ice whenever she wanted. Kristoff's eyes grew a shade darker at her unsaid question.

"You know…" she said softly, sidling up to him with what she hoped was an enticing sway. "I _am_ the princess. I could just _say a word_ and get you a day off…" Kristoff hesitated, leaning back a moment. _Yes!_ Anna thought.

Then his face firmed, brows coming down once more. "No," he said, his arms drawing her attention as they folded across his strong, muscular chest. That was so _unfair_. "Sorry, Anna, but I take my job seriously. Now, especially, with two of the other ice harvesters out of commission, I need to be helping."

Anna huffed dramatically and threw her arms up in exasperation. "So it's more important than spending time with me?" she asked, incredulous. Kristoff opened his mouth and then paused, as if unsure whether he should answer that question.

"You've never held a job before, you don't know what it's like," he said quickly. Anna's brows inched slowly up her forehead. She did _not_ like the direction this was heading. "Oh?"

Kristoff made a vague gesture around her room. "I mean, most people don't have the luxury of spending all day lounging about a castle. When—"

"I'm sorry," Anna said sharply. "_What_?"

Kristoff's eyes met her for a split second, all honey brown. _Focus_, she told herself. Then he glanced away. He knew he had made a mistake—his face fell a fraction of an inch. He shrugged again, hunching over uncomfortably.

"Well, you know," he said slowly, still not meeting her eye.

"No," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't. Enlighten me."

He glanced up at her beseechingly then, floppy blond locks brushing past his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that," he said quietly. _Damn_ the man, he actually did look sorry. Anna squashed down her growing hesitation.

"Then how did you mean it?" she asked accusingly. He shrugged again, and anger flared in her middle. "I don't know what you think I _do_ all day, Kristoff," she said, jabbing a finger at him. "But I do _not_ just 'lounge around.'"

As she jabbed her finger into his chest again, Kristoff grabbed it, stopping her mid-motion with his strong grip. _Uh oh_, she thought, stomach wiggling uncomfortably. _Now he's annoyed_. She instantly fought against her uncertainty. He was annoyed? Well good. So was she. But that didn't stop her stomach from doing a backflip when he glared at her.

"All I'm trying to say is that you don't understand the responsibility that comes with being employed," he told her, all traces of his usual playfulness gone from his voice. "I don't pretend to know how to be a princess. Don't pretend you know how to do my job."

"Oh yeah?" she said, surprised at how loudly the words came out. "You sure seem to be making a lot of assumptions about what I _do_ all day." Kristoff struggled silently for a moment, anger playing across his face.

"Look, all I'm trying to say—"

"I'm not sure if I even want to _hear_ what you're trying to say," she cut in.

Abruptly Kristoff stood up, suddenly towering over her. Anna took an involuntary step back, his hand still wrapped firmly around her wrist.

"Is that so?" he said in a low voice, the icy quiet of his words cutting through her chest. Why couldn't he just yell? It would be so much easier to be angry with him if he'd yell back.

"You know, I really don't understand why you'd even _want_ me to take a day off." Anna cowered a bit under his angry stare, pulling uselessly at her arm. "If you don't even want to talk with me…"

Anna sank another inch lower, anger battling against the pain of his words. That was just like him, to twist what she was saying. He watched her squirm for another long moment, then suddenly let go of her hand. She stumbled back another step. He sighed, the sharp, cold anger melting into an annoyed frown.

"Whatever," he said, shrugging one last time, then brushed past her and out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Anna groaned, half in frustration and half—she hated to admit—in relief. She stuck her tongue out at the door, which helped. Well, okay, not really. She still was angry, and confused, and…

"Argh!" She threw up her hands in frustration, then fell face-first onto her bed, her comforter muffling her moan. Why couldn't he just listen to her? All she wanted was to spend more time with him. Was that so much to ask? She would have thought he'd be _happy_ that she wanted to spend time with him. But _nooo_.

And why couldn't he just let her be mad at him? Huh? Couldn't a girl be upset that her—well, she wasn't entirely sure what he was. Her, her … close, important friend, who wasn't exactly quite a boyfriend—at least, she didn't think he was—I mean, they had never really talked about it, although he had kissed her a few times and, of course, that _did _seem to imply that they were … special.

Anna moaned again loudly. This was making her head hurt. Why couldn't she just be angry at him in peace? She crawled further up onto her bed, then grabbed her pillow and hugged it in her arms. So maybe she wasn't one hundred percent sure _what_ she wanted. He still didn't have to be so mean. _Or honest_, she thought, then quickly stopped herself. No—no. This was his fault. _His fault_. She hugged her pillow tighter.

But, well. Maybe she had overreacted. A little. Maybe. It's not like she _wanted_ for him to leave. She wanted him to stay! Just, you know, not insinuate that she did nothing all day.

She quickly sat up, anger returning to a boil in her stomach. Where did he get off saying that, anyway? Like _he_ knew what it was like spending every day in the castle. And, well, she did get to go outside these days, luckily. But running around alone in all the same rooms for year after year? She was pretty sure Kristoff and all of his _responsibility_ had no clue what _that_ was like. He hadn't had to spend every day wondering just what he had done wrong, and what on Earth he had done to make Elsa so mad at him.

A part of her seethed. Well, she could certainly show _him_ what it was like. Let him come back, for all she cared. Let _him _see what it was like sitting out in the hall, staring at a closed door. At least he'd be _sorry_ for what he'd said then. And…

Anna sighed, picking up her pillow once more and nestling it. Okay, she knew that was wrong, too. She didn't really want to be _mad_ at him. She only wanted, well, to be mad _at_ him. Right? She banged her head against the pillow.

Or maybe she was the one at fault here. Was she not supposed to be mad at him? Was she just supposed to not say anything? She didn't really think that would help anything—how could it? Then again, the last time she had gotten upset with someone and tried to make her anger known… Elsa had snapped and frozen the entire countryside. Anna cringed.

Of course, at the time Anna hadn't understood _why _Elsa was blocking her out like that. But, well, Anna had put Elsa on edge with the whole thing with Hans—

Anna froze, horrid memories twisting painfully in her chest. Right. She had been stupid, and had let Hans manipulate her. And she had gotten angry with Elsa, who was just trying to be a good sister. A _responsible_ sister. Oh god, was Kristoff _right_ then? Should Anna just have let him keep on with all of his _responsibility_ and kept her mouth shut? Maybe she was wrong for being angry with him. After all, if the last time was any indication, Anna's anger only ever led to problems. She had nearly gotten Elsa _killed_.

And, well, fine. There wasn't an eternal winter going on this time. And Hans was gone. _Gone_, she told herself firmly. But what if, in the midst of all her petty anger, Anna was so wrapped up in ignoring Kristoff while something happened to him? She wasn't a fool—she knew that ice harvesting was far from the safest occupation there was. Maybe, instead of being angry, she should just pretend like it was no big deal. If she messed up again…

She thought guiltily of how angry he had been. She didn't want it to be like that—him mad at her. Or, she supposed, vice versa. She had messed up. Again. Major surprise.

She suddenly stood up, letting her pillow fall to the floor.

She wouldn't let that happen again. This time, she could fix everything before it all went wrong. Right. She had to find Kristoff.

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**Haha, oh my goodness. Anna's head is a mess. A lovely, perfectly imperfect mess, of course. But a mess all the same. I do not normally write a bunch of inner dialogue like this, and I've never done it with someone so, er, energetic. I had a _really_ hard time trying to keep track of where I wanted everything to go while still letting it be rambling, crazy Anna. So hopefully it turned out okay, because I really wanted to do her justice. –crosses fingers–**


	3. Chapter 3

There was no question as to Kristoff's whereabouts. Anna immediately headed toward the stables.

As she walked down the castle halls, she clenched her hands together before her, mentally preparing herself. It wasn't that she wasn't still _mad_ at him. Because she was. Or, if she were truly honest with herself, it was more that she was hurt. She hadn't forgotten the way he had side-stepped her question. He hadn't said flat out that his job was more important that her. But he didn't need to—it was obvious in his actions. And knowing that _hurt_. But she was willing to put that aside for now to make amends.

She passed one of the manservants in the second floor hallway. He gave her a half-glance, eyes passing over her face and dipping down to her wringing hands, before nodding politely and moving on. Anna glanced to her right at the window overlooking the neighboring cliffs. Her face was reflected against the dark backdrop, brows scrunched up and nose wrinkled, hands clenched before her. She quickly released her hands and dropped them to her skirts, straightening her gait. Calm. If she was going to do this right, she needed to be calm. Reflexively, she gripped her skirts.

Anna still wasn't convinced that ignoring her feelings was the best option—she wasn't even sure if she was _capable_ of doing that. But she _liked_ Kristoff. She liked him a lot. And if putting her feelings aside long enough to talk with him was the best way to fix everything, then that's what she would do.

She strode toward the back of the stables, where Sven's stall was. She had argued against that at first. Sven deserved a spot up front with all the rest of the steeds, among the best. He _was_ the best. But Kristoff insisted that Sven's small stall in the back was perfect, and it hadn't taken Anna long to figure out why. It was away from where most of the stable hands worked. The majority of the surrounding stalls were unoccupied, there for when foreign dignitaries needed a place to rest their mounts.

Meaning there was a far smaller chance that Kristoff's conversations would be overheard.

Unsurprisingly, Anna heard Kristoff's voice before she even got to the open back door.

"And then she cut me off and said she didn't want to hear what I had to say!" he said, voice incredulous and a notch louder than normal.

She paused, chest constricting, a foot from the door.

"_No!_" Kristoff said in Sven's voice, sounding shocked.

"Yes! Can you believe that?" For a moment, all Anna could hear was a shuffling rustle of hay. It took her a moment to realize that Kristoff was probably pacing.

"I just, ugh!" The pacing abruptly stopped, replaced by a muffled thump.

"_But she couldn't have been _too_ mad_," Sven replied, and Anna gave a small fist pump. _Thank you, Sven_. Wait. That was still Kristoff speaking. She felt a small flutter in her stomach, and she glanced hopefully at the door.

"That's just it, bud," Kristoff replied, voice sounding strained. "She _was_ mad. Furious. Which is utterly ridiculous!" His voice took on a rougher edge. "I mean, I'm the one who's going up to the mountains every day to work. I even have to leave earlier, since I'm trekking all the way from the castle!"

The fluttering in her stomach was immediately doused with ice.

"_You think she doesn't appreciate you?_" After a moment, Kristoff sighed.

This was bad. This was really, really bad. Anna bounced from foot to foot, trying to decide what to do. She _had_ to do something. Right. She should just walk in there, act nonchalant. Like it was no big deal. She struggled to stop herself from bouncing again. _That_ would look suspicious. Wouldn't it? She took a deep breath…

And landed flat on her face with a yelp, foot sliding through the mud and slipping out from under her.

"Anna?"

_Damn_. With a groan, Anna pushed herself up, grass sticking to her cheek where her face had been pressed into the ground. _Perfect_, she thought. _Just perfect_. She glanced up to see Kristoff leaning over her, frowning, hair falling over his eyes. Great.

"Oh, um. Hi," she said, forcing herself to sound cheery. No anger. She quickly pushed herself up further and rocked back on her heels, surveying the damage to the front of her dress. The grass stains weren't _too_ bad. There was, after all, a reason she wore so much green. Satisfied, she stood up.

Despite this, Kristoff still leaned above her. Why did he have to be so tall?

"Anna…"

"I was just, you know, walking," she said quickly. He raised an eyebrow at her, frown still firmly in place. Shoot. _Why lie?_ she asked herself. _You want to talk with him_. "On my way to find you!" she amended hurriedly, shrugging a bit. "You know, to talk."

"Anna, how long were you standing there?"

_Double damn_. She laughed lightly, trying unsuccessfully to make it sound nonchalant. "What do you mean?" Kristoff's stare went from suspicious to flat. Anna floundered about for an answer. "Well, because, I was just walking over here and then, _whoosh_"—she gestured with her hand, sweeping it in front of her to mimic her foot—"suddenly I'm eating grass-frosted mud pies! Classic Anna, huh?" She bumped herself in the head with her palm, flinching when she did so a bit too forcefully. She laughed again, though quickly trailed off at Kristoff's annoyed look.

"I thought you didn't want to talk with me," he pointed out gruffly. Anna groaned internally.

"Actually," she said quickly, her hands making small, circular gestures, "I only said I didn't want to listen to you."

"Great," Kristoff replied, frown deepening, and Anna mentally slapped herself. _Nice going, dolt_. She was just making things worse!

With an irritated wave, Kristoff turned to walk back inside. She leapt without thinking, grabbing his large upper arm with both hands and digging in her heels.

"Wait!" she wailed, feet dragging a few inches across the ground. "That's not what I meant!"

"Oh yeah, Anna?" he asked, spinning around. The motion knocked her off balance, and Anna swayed precariously for a moment. Then his steady hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her up, bringing her back to equilibrium. She felt the heat flood into her cheeks and a small sense of remorse as his hands left her sides. But when she glanced up at his furrowed face, now only a foot away from hers, her heart sank.

"Then what did you mean?" he asked her. "Huh? Because I thought you were pretty clear."

"Well, I just—I was wrong!" she said quickly, afraid he wouldn't give her the chance to reply. Kristoff paused, opening and closing his mouth in confusion. "What?" he asked finally, head tilting ever so slightly. Okay, this was good. She could pull this sucker back on track.

"I was thinking that, you know, maybe I was wrong," she continued, wringing her hands. "Because I didn't really let you explain yourself, and I was probably getting worked up for no big deal. And, well, why cause so much stress over something so small?"

His frown had returned, brown eyes narrowed. She felt like flailing—_what_ was she doing wrong here?

"No big deal?" he asked quietly, and Anna nodded vigorously, plastering her most hopeful smile on her face. Kristoff groaned, rubbing the side of his face with his hand. "Really, Anna? No big deal? It didn't seem that way to me."

Why couldn't he just accept her apology and move on? Wasn't it enough that she was _trying_ to put aside her own anger? She sighed heavily, then quickly wiped a frown from her own face at a look from Kristoff.

"Yes, Kristoff," she said slowly, struggling to keep the tension from her voice. "I've decided that I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. It probably _was_ ridiculous, and—" Anna nearly jumped as realization spread across his face, quickly hardening into an even more upset frown. She had given herself away. Why couldn't she watch her mouth?

"Listen," she said, dropping the nice act. "I'm just trying to help, okay? I'm trying to tell you that you're _right_! Why can't you just accept that?"

"Oh, is that what you're doing?" he asked, voice rising. Of course, _now_ he chose to yell. "Are you sure? Because you still sound plenty angry to me."

"Will you quit questioning everything I say?" she shot back, crossing her arms. "I'm trying to be the better person, here, and set my frustrations aside—"

"Ha! Is that so?"

"_Yes_. I'm doing my part in fixing this mess! Why can't you do yours?"

Kristoff made an angry noise in the back of his throat, waving her off. "Oh, come on, Anna. Grow up. Pretending you're not mad isn't going to fix anything. Did you even bother to think this through?" She flinched as though slapped.

"You don't _know_ the emotional ride I went through to come to this conclusion!" she shouted, stomping her foot. It sank a bit into the soft mud beneath her, not at all satisfying.

"Oh, I can imagine," Kristoff said flatly. Anna scoffed, more injured than she wanted to let on. He shook his head, breathing through his nose.

"I just can't deal with this right now," he said, then turned on his heel and headed back toward the castle.

He was walking away. Again. And through her anger, Anna felt her stomach twist. She had messed up. Again. What was wrong with her?

"Kristoff," she called after him. He didn't stop. "Kristoff, wait!"

She hurried after him, determined not to let him go this time. He was walking briskly, his long legs carrying him farther faster, and she had to run to catch up.

"Come on," she said, trying to keep the edge from her voice. She managed to get close enough to glimpse the set frown on his face. He shrugged her off, irritated, then quickened his step. "Can't we just talk about this? You know, without fighting?"

"Just leave me alone, Anna."

She ignored the rising feeling of dread in her stomach, hiking up her skirts a bit so she could keep up. They entered the castle.

"Please," she pleaded, "I'm serious. I'll stop being mad!"

He groaned, and from behind she could see his shoulders flex.

"Isn't that what you want?"

He stopped abruptly, and she ran into his back with an _umph_. She quickly steadied herself, taking a step back.

"No," he said firmly, glaring at her. "That's not what I want. And it's not what you want either. Now leave me alone."

"But…!"

Then Kristoff opened the door to his room and closed it with a loud clack.

For a moment, Anna stared at the door, horrified. This wasn't happening. Not again.

"Kristoff!" she yelled shrilly, banging her fist against the door. He didn't answer, and she felt something cold creep up her middle. "Kristoff Bjorgman! Open this door!" She pounded again. "As the princess, I _command_ you to open this door!"

She instantly regretted the words. They sounded so childish, only reinforcing his earlier sentiment: _grow up_. Cringing, she banged on the door again. "Kristoff!"

When there was still no reply, she took a step back. She struggled to force back her tears, though she wasn't sure if they were from her anger or fear. Either way, they burned hotly at the edge of her vision. Then she turned and fled to the best sanctuary she knew: the portrait hall.

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**Thanks so much for reading! I've spent all day amazed at how many of you have read it already. I'm so glad you guys like it! On the other hand, it made me really nervous while I was writing this scene! So I hope you still continue to enjoy it.**

**This one's obvious a bit longer. I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. I would apologize, except I tend to like longer segments. Anyway, I really wanted to at least get to him closing the door. This was my main idea for the story. I hope I wasn't too roundabout getting to the point.**

**I had this problem all the time as a kid: I'd immediately regret getting mad at a friend and feel hurt that they weren't ready to apologize as quickly as I was. On the other hand, I'd get mad if someone tried to apologize before they even had the time to think everything over. (Usually the first happened if the argument was my fault, and the second if it was someone else's.) And I figured that Anna, not having the chance to learn to cope with these kinds of situations, would have a similar struggle.**

**I'm still not sure if I'll be able to wrap this up in one more chapter. It may take two. But I'll try to finish it up in the next day or two.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, a three week wait for the resolution. Lol, sorry about that! The last few weekends I kept hoping to get a chance to sit down and write, but it never wound up happening. So, to apologize (and so that it won't happen again), I just went ahead and wrote the last two chapters all at once. I hope you enjoy!**

(As a side note, I'm hoping this will upload alright. I spent about six hours trying to finish this story up, only to get the "Error 2" message when I tired to post last night. I'm still having the same problems, but hopefully this will work.)

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"Anna?"

Anna buried her face deeper into the bench cushion, taking a slightly ragged breath. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now, even Elsa.

She felt a warm hand on her back, then another loosening a few strands of hair from her tear-stained cheek before pushing the lock back behind her ears. A new set of tears sprang to her eyes, and a melancholy sort of comfort came over her. _That's what Mom always used to do_…

She shook her head, nestling it more firmly against the velvet fabric. "I'm fine, Elsa," she said, voice hitching.

"Oh, Anna…" She could hear the sad smile on her sister's face almost as clearly as the accompanying sigh. "Will you tell me what's wrong? Please?"

She turned her head to the left, peeking with one eye at Elsa's gentle smile hovering next to her. "He..." Anna took another deep breath, forcing the words out. "Oh, Elsa, Kristoff hates me!" Anna threw her head back down with a wail.

"Shhh, there, there." Elsa mumbled sweet nothings, stroking the back of Anna's head. Then, with a shooing motion, she ushered Anna up into a sitting position and took a seat next to her. Elsa gave her a soft smile. "It can't be that bad."

"Y-you don't understand," Anna said, fumbling a bit as she sniffled. "He won't talk with me. He won't look at me." She could feel the tears welling up against her eyes, and she pressed her lips together in an attempt to stop herself from dissolving back into a sobbing heap. "Elsa, _he shut himself in his room,_" she whispered sharply, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against the wall.

"People do that, sometimes," Elsa said. That jerked Anna to attention, and she whipped her head around in surprise. Elsa was watching her with her kind, clear eyes. "Really. And…" Elsa faltered then, an ashamed look flashing across her face. "And it doesn't last forever. Promise." Anna nodded mutely, not feeling entirely relieved.

Elsa laughed softly, somehow a perfect mix of sympathy and comfort. "Really, Anna. Sometimes, people just need their space." Elsa's smile widened a bit, nudging her sister in a playful manner. "_Especially_ after a fight."

"Really?" Anna asked, a bit confused. "I mean, isn't it better to fix things before they get worse?" She sat up straighter then, adjusting the bodice of her dress a bit, which had wiggled slightly askew when she had thrown herself against the bench.

Elsa was watching her thoughtfully, lips pursed. "What were you fighting about?" she asked, a curious frown on her face. Anna rubbed at her eyes. They felt itchy now that her tears had mostly dried up.

"He won't take a day off."

Elsa's eyebrows lowered a fraction further, a bit confused. "Oh?"

"No," Anna said, a flicker of annoyance returning. "I just… I never get to see him anymore. He's too busy with his _job_ to spend time with me."

"Well," Elsa said slowly, her arm still firmly around Anna's shoulders, "I _did_ name him Royal Ice Master and Deliverer."

Anna huffed a singular laugh, not particularly amused. "Yeah," she said flatly. "So I've been told." She _wasn't_ pouting.

"And he _did_ move into the castle," Elsa said, her voice slowly taking on her lecturing tone. "You know how much persuasion _that_ took." Anna rolled her eyes. "Like it makes any difference," she muttered, studying the carpet.

There was a few moments' pause, then Elsa shifted, briefly rubbing Anna's back. "Everyone fights now and then, Anna," she said quietly. "Even Mom and Dad used to have spats."

"Yeah," Anna said slowly. She could remember the few times she heard her mom shouting from her parents' room, voice full of hurt and anger. She had spent those nights curled tight in a cocoon of blankets, wishing her parents' angry voices away with all her might. Wishing that she could slip into Elsa's bed and forget. Her shoulders slumped a bit.

"But the next morning, Mom would always make him breakfast," Elsa said with a nudge. Anna laughed softly, wiping again at her eyes. "Yeah, and burn the toast." Elsa giggled. "And Dad would set the table with a fresh cut bouquet from the gardens."

Anna let her head fall back against the wall once more, eyes closed. Elsa's hand found her own, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Anger is just as much a part of people as happiness or joy," Elsa said, finally breaking the silence. "Or sadness." Her grip tightened once more on Anna's hand. "It's natural to feel emotions. Your feelings are important, and they shouldn't be discounted just because you don't agree with someone else."

Anna cracked her eyes, glancing at Elsa. Her sister was watching her with a sad smile. "Trust me," Elsa continued in an earnest tone. "I spent years attempting to ignore my feelings. To control them. And…" she shrugged, trailing off.

Anna smiled back, this time squeezing Elsa's hand. Elsa opened her mouth, ready to say something, then stopped. That twisted look of pain flitted across her eyes—the one that Anna wanted desperately to help ease. She had seen it so many times, and although things were much better now, it still saddened Anna to see her sister suffering so much from her memories. Elsa took a deep breath, then started again.

"It's far better to acknowledge your feelings," she said quietly. "Understand why you're upset. But then give yourself time to cool down." Her smile returned, eyes brightening once more. "Things often don't seem quite so grim given an hour's distance."

Warmth swelled up in Anna's chest, and she tackled Elsa with the strongest hug she could muster. "Thank you," she said quietly into Elsa's shoulder. Elsa hugged her tightly in return.

"Take some time to yourself before dinner," Elsa said, pulling back from the hug. She looked Anna straight in the eye. "Cool off. Do something _you_ want to do. Then come downstairs. Everything will turn out alright." She paused, smiling. "I'm sure of it."

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**Honestly, the hardest part with these stories is that I always_ need_ to watch Frozen before I write a chapter. I'm not exaggerating. I sit down to write, then I get all nervous and think, "Oh no! I'm going to mess it up! I should watch the movie again and make sure I've got the characters down alright." Not that I'm complaining. Any reason to watch Frozen is a good reason. It just also tends to take quite a bit of time. Lol.**

**Also, I can't lie: Elsa terrifies me a bit. Anna may be a crazy ball of energy, but she's very candid and klutzy, which helps. Elsa is an intense mix of love for her sister and painful, poignant emotion. She's also a touch more sophisticated to boot. But, a bit surprisingly, she was a lot of fun to write.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, the last chapter! (Considering I'm posting this at the same time, I'm going to assume it's not a surprise. xP) This turned out huge. I probably shouldn't be surprised. I'm hoping it doesn't drag.**

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But he wasn't at dinner.

Anna sat glumly, chin resting in the palm of her left hand as she aimlessly stirred her mashed potatoes around her plate. "Anna, please," Elsa said, both dotingly warm and with a hint of sternness. "You know not to play with your food."

"I'm not hungry," Anna said with an exasperated sigh, blowing up at her bangs. She let her fork fall onto the plate, which was whisked away by one of the maids. Elsa gave her a wry smile. "Not even for dessert?"

Anna's ears perked up at that, much as she hated to admit it. _Jeez, _she thought, scolding herself. _Let's hope the fate of the kingdom never rests on my ability to resist sweets_. But she didn't argue as a plate of chocolate cake was placed in front of her.

When she was done, she pushed away from the table with another sigh. She noticed Elsa watching her, and she clenched her hands. "I just…"

Elsa patted Anna's hand, then gracefully stood up. "Guys just aren't quite as sophisticated as girls," Elsa said lightly. She shot Anna a mischievous grin. "Their brains require extra time to sort things through." Anna snorted, though she did have to admit that it made her feel a little better. A tiny bit.

So she went to bed, the argument still hanging heavily in the air around her. It made even her familiar room feel uncomfortable, try though she might to snugly wrap herself in her blankets. _I'll just get up early_, she told herself, wriggling irritably before turning to her other side. _I'll see him off before he leaves, and everything will be fine_.

Something was burning insistently against her eyes. With a groan, Anna pulled her sheets over her head, partially easing the blinding light. Why did the sun have to be so bright? _Especially_ in the morning.

But even her comforter didn't help much, and after a few minutes Anna sat up, head swaying groggily. _Stupid sun_, she thought with disjointed anger, unable to force much else through her mind.

There was a nagging at the back of her head, and she frowned as she arched back. It'd be a lot easier to think if that _stupid sun_ wasn't glaring at her. Even Kristoff knew not to wake her this early.

Kristoff…

With a gasp, Anna shot up from her bed, windmilling her arms as the sheets caught her foot. She cursed with a word a bit too colorful for a princess, squinting to look through her windows. Then she spat out another choice word. The sun was up far too high—it had to be midmorning already, at least. There was no way Kristoff would still be around the castle.

_But maybe_…

She scarcely took the time to breath as she shimmied into a decent dress, then ran out to the barn. In her recently formed habit, she ran straight to the back door and threw it open.

The morning light cast a glimmering stream across Sven's empty stall. Anna slumped over, defeated. It really had been too much to hope for, after all. _He's got his job_, she thought gloomily, trying to convince herself that there was no hint of sarcasm in her words.

She would just have to wait until dinner. Again.

_Of course_, she thought, eyes glazed over while she sat at breakfast. _This was exactly what I was hoping to avoid. A whole _day_ of not knowing._

_Not that it's any big deal_. She idly flipped the page of her history book, legs swinging while she sat in the library. _I mean, I barely get to see him anyway. Right?_ Somehow, that thought didn't help much at all.

_It's just that I didn't get to apologize_. She gazed wistfully up toward the mountains, a breeze rustling the garden trees around her as the sun reached its peak. _At least, not really. And he's up there, doing his dangerous work. What if something happens?_

_Which is utterly ridiculous. Because he'll be fine. He knows what he's doing_. She was scolded twice more by Elsa at lunch time for playing with her food, though Elsa's chidings were not very stern.

_But so did the sailors. You can't control nature. Mom and Dad…_

She stood up suddenly, taking her French tutor by surprise. "Princess?" he asked, uncertain. "Oh," Anna said sheepishly, feeling a faint blush creep into her cheeks. "I just… need to stretch my legs!" She rushed from the room before he had a chance to answer. She was being silly. The sky was a beautiful, cloudless blue. He would be fine.

By the time dinner rolled around, Anna felt like a perfect mess. The doormen had sent her away from the front doors, saying her pacing made it difficult to concentrate on their duty. Instead, she now paced in her room.

There was a knock at her door. She froze.

"Anna?"

A wave of emotions rushed through her—_just leave him out there—thank goodness he's alright—why hasn't he apologized?_—and for a moment she was too overcome to move.

"It's open," she called, wincing as her voice faltered.

She instantly wondered if it would have been better to make him wait outside. At least then she could think somewhat coherently. His mop of blonde locks dusted over his concerned eyes, a sad look on his face. _Like a puppy_, she though, heart lurching. Though perhaps not—a puppy wouldn't make her feel this way. Why was so much of Kristoff so completely undefinable?

"Hi," she said, smiling weakly. He chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck a bit awkwardly.

"Can we talk?"

She nodded mutely, suppressing a groan. She had already spent all day feeling nervous. Why did the feeling have to come back tenfold now?

He sat down on her bed, crossing his broad hands in his lap, and Anna joined him.

A silence stretched out, and she wriggled a bit. All that was left was a deafening buzz, pressing relentlessly against her ears. Anna grew frustrated—she had spent the entire day in silence. Now that he was back, it was unbearable. If she could just say the right thing…

"I'm not as important as your job."

Kristoff turned to her suddenly, startled by what she said. His brown eyes searched her face, looking both confused and hurt. She felt just as surprised as he looked. _Great. This is a great way to start things out_. She hadn't even bothered to pose it as a question this time.

"That's not—"

"No, Kristoff," she said firmly. Actually, though, it felt kind of good to finally just explain her emotions. No more tiptoeing, waiting for him to catch her meaning. No more baiting. It was amazingly relieving.

"Just admit it," she continued. "You spend all day up there and—"

She was abruptly cut off by his lips, suddenly pressed over hers. For a second she considered pulling away and telling him off—she was finally starting to feel better. But it would have been a hopeless cause, and she knew it.

Besides, the feel of his warmth pressed up against her was just as comforting as her honest words. His hands cradling her cheeks were reassurance—_he's alright, he's here_. And, with a debilitating spike in her heart rate, she realized that he still wanted her.

Anna tightened her grip on his arms, relief intermixing with a slight pain in her chest. She hadn't even realized until that moment: that had been her biggest fear of all.

Their lips brushed softly against each other's as he slowly pulled away.

"I listened to you yesterday," he told her, voice barely above a whisper. It sent a chill down her back. "Just hear me out this time. Please."

Anna nodded, head still resting gently in his calloused hands. Kristoff took a deep breath, chest rising and falling.

"Do you know why I took this job?"

She shook her head, afraid that it was meant as a rhetorical question. He had, after all, just told her to let him speak.

Kristoff ran his hand through his hair again, searching for words. Anna smiled slightly—it was one of his many endearing habits.

"Ice Master and Deliverer is _not_ a thing." She opened her mouth to object, but he held up his hand, eyes firm. Was this whole thing over the stupid _position_? Anna closed her mouth reluctantly, acquiescing.

"It's just not," he continued. His hand found hers resting on her lap and held it, rubbing his thumb gently across her knuckles. "It's just some made up title as a way to accommodate some scruffy ice man who happened to help the princess."

"But—"

He glared at her, and she folded her arms with a _hmph_. That wasn't how things were, and he knew it.

"It works—kind of. I'm allowed to stay at the castle, and I'm allowed to accompany you." His eyes darted around her room then, an uneasy grimace twisting his mouth. "I'm not even sure if this is technically allowed."

Anna shot him a questioning look, and he gestured vaguely around him. "How many men are allowed into a princess' chambers?"

"You're not just _any_ man," she said grumpily. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"How should I know?" she retorted. "It's not as though I ever had any male visitors. Or any visitors." Kristoff's look softened, and his thumb resumed its soothing journey across her hand.

"Anyway, the point is, I'm only here on your sister's hospitality," he finished, shrugging uneasily.

"You _earned_ it," Anna said earnestly, placing her other hand on top of his.

"Maybe," he said, still looking uncomfortable. "But, well, jeez Anna! Everything in my life I've had to work to achieve. If I didn't, then Sven and I wouldn't have enough to eat, or a place to stay. Hell, I wouldn't even have met the trolls if I hadn't been out hauling ice!"

She was having a hard time understanding the point he was trying to make. "So?"

"So?" he asked. He glanced down at her, then paused for a long moment. She felt her heart beat pick up once more.

"So, it just doesn't feel right. Argh!" He leaned his head back in frustration. "I'm just a worker. You can't suddenly make me fit in at a palace, and you know it. The only way I'm ever going to feel like I deserve this—any of this—is if I put in the hard work to earn it."

"Oh," she said quietly. She supposed what he was saying made some sense. He was being silly, of course—helping to rescue a princess definitely counted as earning his stay in her book. "I guess I can see why this is so important to you."

He cupped her face once more, his thumb now stroking her cheek, and forced her to meet his eyes. "I'm doing this all for you, Anna."

She could feel her eyebrows wrinkling in confusion. "What are you talking about? That doesn't make sense," she said, shaking her head. "I know you've earned this a million times over. You just said yourself that you're the one who feels uncomfortable."

Kristoff sighed in exasperation, his warm breath tickling against her face. "But how does it look to everyone else?" he asked. "All the courtiers, the foreign dignitaries? What about the people of Arendelle? To them, I'm just some ice harvester who is now living off of the Queen's good will."

"Who cares about them?" Anna asked, incredulous.

"I do," he said, tightening his grip. "Anna, I love you."

The words took her breath away. They shouldn't have—she loved him, and she had suspected he loved her back. And they kissed, which only happened between lovers, as far as she could tell. And they were_ just words_.

But there had always been some sort of unspoken agreement. She wasn't sure why, but he had never told her before. She didn't doubt him—she trusted him. But now his unexpected confession was doing things to her pulse that were making the blood pound in her ears.

"I love you too," she said softly. He squeezed her hand.

"I want to prove that I'm good enough," he said. When she started to protest, he cut her off. "I'm serious. To all those people who have no idea who I am. To your sister, who was willing to give me a chance. And… and to myself. So I'm doing that in the only way I've ever known how: harvesting ice."

He gave her a hopeful smile, still looking a bit uncertain. "I'm sorry that I've been so busy. I miss getting to spend more time with you. Fiercely. And hopefully things will calm down some soon. But I take this job seriously—more seriously than anything in my entire life—because I want to make sure that I can stay by your side."

He leaned in, giving her just a feather of a kiss. "So, can you forgive me?"

She punched his arm with a wide smile. "We'll make a reindeer king out of you yet." Kristoff groaned and rolled his eyes. Then she pushed herself up off the bed so she could stand in front of him. "Of course I forgive you."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, his head resting on her stomach.

"Kristoff?"

"Hm?" he responded, not letting go.

"I understand if you need your space now and then…" That caused him to pull back slightly, looking up at her. She took a deep breath and plunged on. "Just, please, could you not lock your door?" His gaze melted into an understanding frown, and he nodded.

Anna sighed in relief. It was silly—giving him space meant leaving him alone. It shouldn't matter if he locked his door or not. Except, well, it did. She hadn't exactly told him everything. Not yet, anyway. But he knew enough to at least understand why she would ask.

"Promise," he said, grabbing her into another bear hug. "My door is always open to you." She leaned into him, enjoying his warmth once more.

Then her stomach growled loudly.

Kristoff broke into loud laughter, to Anna's horror. She tried to squirm from his grasp, but he kept his face pressed firmly against her.

"I'm guessing we missed dinner?" he asked, chuckling. "Apparently," she mumbled, fighting back a smile. "Jeez, I just can't stay mad at you."

"Come on." Kristoff stood up, placing a warm kiss on her forehead. "Let's go scavenge the kitchens to see what's left." With a snort, Anna followed him downstairs.

* * *

**Whee, it's done! I hope it was worth the read! Major thanks to all of you! :) I can't even describe how awesome it is to get to read all of your comments and see how many people have enjoyed reading this. I really hope you enjoyed the ending as well—I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

**I already have the outlines for two additional stories involving this lovely pair, which hopefully I'll be able to post really soon. If you're interested, I hope you'll check them out!**


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